Lions Drop Season Opener To High Point, 3-0

Friday, September 3

West Point, N.Y.

3:00 p.m.

Columbia

0-1,0-0Ivy League

High Point

4-1,0-0Big South

Columbia

High Point

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics

9/3/2021 5:58:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Columbia Volleyball fell in straight sets in its season opening match against High Point at the Black Knights Invitational.

WEST POINT, N.Y. — In the 2021 season opener, Columbia Volleyball (0-1) battled hard, but fell in straight sets (23-25, 26-24, 18-25) to High Point (4-1) on Friday, Sept. 3, in Columbia's first match at the Black Knights Invitational hosted by Army and played at the Gillis Field House.

The Lions fall to 0-1 on the season and drop their season opener for the first time since 2018. As for High Point, it's their fourth straight win, second on the day, and they improve to 4-1.

Columbia was lead in kills by junior Noelle Foster, who finished with eight in the match. The top performer for the Lions easily was senior Isa Lamus, who finished just behind Foster with seven kills, while hitting a scorching .385 percent on 13 attempts. In her collegiate debut, first-year Cadence Gronski led Columbia in assists with 20 and added four kills on five attempts to be a force in the center of the formation for the Lions.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Throughout the first set, it seemed that this would be a close match with the scoring tying up twice after the 15th point when an attack error by High Point's Sopheea Mink, off three straight points from the Lions, knotted the score at 18-18. And down the final stretch of the set, Columbia again put themselves in the conversation as four straight points, with the ever-reliable junior Vanessa Pan serving, actually pushing the Lions in front 23-22.

High Point responded to Columbia's charge and took the final three points of the set to take the first set, 25-23 and a 1-0 lead in the match.

Hitting .600 through the set, Lamus led the Lions in the second set recording four of her seven total kills during the set. Out of the gate, the Lions came storming, and they controlled the action for the majority of the set, holding a five-point lead as late as 20-15. But the final five points for victory would elude the Lions, and over the final 16 points contested, High Point would take 10 of them to catch and pass the Lions late to win the second set, 26-24, and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

In the final set, despite four kills from junior Kiara Robichaud, Columbia could not hold off a High Point squad that hit 68 percent throughout the set and early on would take control. Columbia evened out the score at 9-9, but that would be the last time the Lions were in the set, as from there High Point would take and hold the lead for the remainder of the set, finishing it off with three straight points to win the final set, 25-18, and the match 3-0.

GAME NOTES: Lamus led the Lions in hitting percentage (.385) and it was the best she has hit in a match since Sept. 1, 2018 (.435) … This was the first meeting all-time between Columbia and High Point … Sophomore Lauren Cho led the Lions on the serve, finishing with a match-high four service aces … Gronski had a match-high 20 assists in her debut match.

NEXT UP: Columbia wraps up the weekend in West Point with a pair of matches on Saturday, Sept. 4 when they face Sacred Heart (2:30 p.m.) and the hosting Army Black Knights (6:30 p.m.). Columbia's match against Army will be streamed on ESPN+

FOLLOWING THE LIONS: Stay up to date on all things Columbia Volleyball by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsVB), Instagram (@culionsvb) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).